The Bait
by nityge
Summary: Some thoughts how Homeland season 4 might be continued. Chapter 8 has been posted. Reviews are welcomed.
1. Chapter - Prologue

**Prologue**

Since the baby was born Carrie has been staying with her family. Her sister and dad are trying everything to ease the situation for her. But from the beginning she has been awfully stressed. For the slightest reason she would be freaking out. The screaming and crying are one side. The bigger cause for concern is her total lack of affection to her newborn. One day Quinn is showing up at her dad's place.

"Hi! Quinn. What's up?" she offers him to come in.

"Just wanted to visit you and baby Mathison" he replies with a smile. "You look great."

"Actually I'm looking like shit." She rolls with her eyes. "Want a coffee?"

"Yup. Where's the rest of the family? He is looking around.

"Maggie has gone to work. Dad has taken the chance to go to CVS while the baby is sleeping." She takes him to the kitchen.

"How is she?" Quinn watches her closely while she is preparing fresh coffee.

"Just doing fine. Sleeping, drinking, filling diapers that's her day."

"So, she is keeping you busy! I cannot imagine you changing a stinky diaper." He smiles at her. "No further resentments to motherhood then?"

She ignores his question and continues to prepare the coffee. But she cannot trick Quinn. He can feel her rising tension. But he knows it would be stupid to put pressure on her. So he just keeps watching her.

When she finally turns to hand over his coffee, her eyes are filled with tears.

He takes her hands not able to say a word. He keeps waiting until she bucks up.

"I cannot be her mother, Quinn. I can't. It's impossible."

"Cause?" he is asking still holding her hands.

"Cause I feel nothing, not the slightest thing. It is like she is not mine." She takes her hands out of his. "I am leaving to Istanbul in two weeks. It is all set up."

"You are giving up on her?" Quinn looks quite annoyed. "I thought, she is a child of love, your love with Brody. What would he have said to this if he had survived?"

"That would have changed everything." She states with utter conviction. "I would not have to make a decision between job or family. We would have left everything behind …"

"I doubt that." He interrupts her. "You would still struggle. You love your job; you are simply obsessed with it. And a vivid Brody would not have changed that."

"Fuck you Quinn. Are you telling me that I didn't love him?" Her face is now filling with rage.

"I think it wasn't a healthy love which would end in family." Unintentionally Quinn had entered a dangerous mine field.

"So it was a mad love? A meaningless obsession? Because I am just a fucking bipolar with a bad fucking taste?" She is yelling back at him. "So the child you had fathered is the result of a healthy love. Someone who is living in a glass house shouldn't throw with stones."

"I told you I fucked it up." He replies with increasing uneasiness. The conversation is not running in the right direction.

Carrie has not finished him yet. With the unmistakable **i**nstinct of a well-trained intelligence agent she finds his weak point. "What's your brilliant idea for my future then? You attend me to Istanbul, help me with the baby, show me the healthy way of love? It's that what you are dreaming of?"

She can tell by the way Quinn is biting his lips that she hits a mark. She knows it would be better to stop now. But the fury in Carrie Mathison exceeds all her cleverness. "For sure I don't want to end with an emotional cripple."

Strike. Her shot is on target.


	2. Chapter - The bait is in place

The Chapter "The bait is in place" starts one month after Carrie has gone to Istanbul leaving her child in the care of her father and sister. She has taken Danny Galvez and Fara Sherazi with her. Saul is working as a private intelligence investigator. Quinn has remained in Langley under the command of Dar Adal. Frustrated by his job's immorality and Carrie's silent and unfriendly departure he plans to turn in his notice. Meanwhile Carrie is trying to keep Javadi under control. But she has to discover that Javadi's position in Iran's Revolutionary Guard is not as strong and settled as she thought.

* * *

**The bait is in place**

Carrie arrives at her Hotel in Tehran. She is in deep concern about her last phone call with Majid Javadi.

She just has entered her hotel room when her cell phone rings. Her face is freezing when she looks at the caller. She gives a deep sigh when she finally takes the call.

"Hey Dad, what's going on? Got insomnia? It must be middle of night at your place?" She tries to sound easy.

"It is hard to catch you during normal times. So I just thought to take a chance. Don't you want to know how the baby is doing?" her father replies.

She tries to ignore the reproach in his husky voice. "Look, I am still settling in. I mean, everything is new. I am a station officer now. I have responsibilities for …"

"You have responsibility for a baby now. " Her father interrupts her angrily. "That should be your only concern. Not a damned mission in a damned country."

"We all agreed that it is the best not to take her with me. She is much better with you and Maggie. You are giving her a safe and stable home which I cannot offer her at moment." She sighs deeply.

"At least you could show that you care about her somehow. You never phone, you never show any affection".

Because I feel nothing, it is like she has not grown in me for 9 month. But of course she is not saying anything like that because it would upset him even more.

"Even your co-workers are showing more fondness for your baby…" her dad murmurs.

"Which co-workers?" she asks with some interest.

"Virgil is showing up from time to time. And last weekend that dark guy who visited you in hospital turned up".

"Quinn?" she feels her reluctance rising.

"Yeah, that's his name. Stiff man somehow, but he was a melting pot with the baby in his arms. Even helped me to fix the playpen."

Carrie frowns in disbelief, her eyes wide open. She tries to imagine Quinn refurbishing something. What a witty thought.

"So you got a new project?" she asks with jacked interest.

"Yeah, you should see the result. Our little girl loves it. She's rolling around the whole time." Her dad's voice has smoothened.

Carrie is taking her chance "Dad. That sounds great. Send a picture of my little girl which I can keep in the office. I have to finish now. Business is calling."

When Carrie ends the call she feels cramped. She gets up and looks at her mirror reflection. Taking a deep breath she is stretching her shoulders and raising her head. No time for regrets she doesn't feel. She would never feel. She takes on a headscarf and leaves the room.

* * *

Carrie is meeting Javadi in a carpet dealers store room. She has no eye for the blaze of colors provided by the silky Persian carpets. Her moves are tensed, her senses highly alerted.

Javadi smiles at her: "Here you can see the cradle of our culture. Precious and lasting for eternity."

"I didn't come to buy a carpet." She barks back at him unpleased by his improper charm. "Your call deeply concerned me. What the fuck is going?"

"Well, I didn't want to bother you. But I might need a little favor. Just a favor among friends." His mouth is still smiling, but his eyes are turning cold now.

She waits for him to continue trying to conceal her eagerness.

He smacks his lips. "There are signs that Akbari's two sons are planning something against me."

"And what plans that might be?" she asks.

"During the past months they increased their control of the Bassidschi brigades in Tehran. They are spreading a lot of money to some military key players. That's how it works in my country: you throw your money, you are in charge. It is obvious that they want to retrieve their father's heritage. I am the one who is in their way." He explains grimly.

"Is there any indication that they have knowledge of your share in their father's death?" Carrie's senses are running high 'How much time I do have?'

"No sign of that. They just want to gain the power that my position would offer them." And as if he could read her mind "Look, I think you should act fast. Get rid of them. How, that is your problem. Just make it a quickie." He makes a sign like he is slicing a throat.

Carrie gets pissed. "You think that is how it's working? We just walk in and kill those two guys." She shouts out.

Javadi looks quite amused. But his defined voice makes it very clear. He shouts back at her: "That's exactly how it works. You wanted to play that game. You sacrificed your lover. Now don't make his death look like a fucking fad of a weak-minded woman. He doesn't deserve this."

"Don't you dare…" she is freaking out.

But he stops her by grabbing her arms. He changes his strategy. "Look Carrie. I know you are not weak. I never met a smarter, stronger woman than you. You made this whole thing worked. Together we can change the history of our nations. We can bring things to a good end."

And when he is sure she is brooding about his words. "I know you see the truth in my words. It is the only way."

He got her back in line. "Well, we will figure out a plan. I will inform you about the details and timeline. You have to stay out of sight."

Javadi's smile is charming again. "Sure Carrie. I will stay out of sight. I wash my hands of responsibility."

* * *

Quinn enters the office of Dar Adal. "You want a talk?"

"Peter! Have a seat". His boss points to the visitor chair in front of his desk.

"No thanks, Sir. I prefer to stand." Quinn waits for the elder to place his point. His body is stiff as usual. His face is showing no emotions.

"You turned in your notice. Are you sure about it?" Adal tries to read in the face of the younger.

"Yes Sir. I am very sure. There is nothing that keeps me up." Quinn replies unemotional.

"So, what are your plans? Joining Saul at his goody two shoes mission?" Adal feels his anger rising.

"That's an option. Maybe I am just going on a cruise instead. Have you ever been to the Caribbean?" He makes a move to leave the room.

Adal is now clearly pissed off. "Fuck you Peter. You are a skilled black op, an efficient killer. Never seen a better one. Do not believe that you can shake that off like an unwanted suit."

* * *

Javadi is sitting in the dark of his home office his face hardly lighted by a weak desk lamp. He is taking his cell phone and dials a number.

"The bait is in place. " He declares calmly.

The voice on the other line answers "So we just have to wait for the fish to bite it. Call me, when you got the details. Everything will be prepared."

* * *

Carrie is moving in her room like a tiger pacing back and force in its narrowed cage. Then she finally stops. She picks up her cell phone and dials a number. "Our mission is in danger" she states.

Adal is immediately alerted. "Fuck! Carrie! What is going on? Where are you?" Quinn who has been on his way out jerks to a halt. Very slowly he turns and walks back to the desk. He is staring at the phone his face shaded with concern. Adal notices the increasing tension in the younger man. 'So that's his Achilles' he thinks. 'Well done Carrie. Right time, right place.' He puts the speaker on.

Carrie sounds clearly stressed. "I just met our friend. What he told me, scares the shit out of me. Our mouse is threatened by two cats. I need someone reliable to take them out."

She seems to hesitate for a second. "I need to talk to Quinn. At once!"

Quinn has clenched his fists on the desk. He stares at the speaker with disbelief. Then he lowers his head and replies. "I am here Carrie."


	3. Chapter - Three side medal

**Three side medal**

Carrie is sitting on the floor of the hotel room leaning her back against the bed. Her eyes are closed. The nightfall has covered the room in complete darkness. It seems to be a peaceful situation but that's a delusion. There is no peace in Carrie Mathison. It has been hours since she talked to Dar Adal and Quinn. Since then she has been sitting there, silent, unable to move. The angst has taken control over her. It coils around her like a choking python taking her the air to breathe. Her heart is beating hard and irregularly, her mouth is dry. 'I am loosing it.' It's her last thought before the walls of the room narrow down her conscious.

When Carrie wakes up, it takes her a while to regain orientation. After a couple of minutes she gets on her knees holding herself to the bed. She is breathing heavily. Grabbing the bedcovers she slowly moves to the nightstand where she is keeping her lithium. She reaches for the box but it slides off her hand and the pills are spreading all over the floor. She grabs a few and swallows them without water.

The impact of the pills relaxes her body soon. She rests against the nightstand breathing deeply. Her thoughts are dealing with the conversion she had hours before.

'Fuck you Quinn.' It had been odd to talk to him and ask for his help. But she had no choice. He is the best for the job. 'Beggars can't be choosers.'

They have not talked since their clash two month ago. Carrie is wondering if Quinn has recognized the uneasiness and tremor in her voice. His replies to her have been cold and businesslike, no sign of emotions or dismay. 'Cause killing is his business. Emotional cripple that's what I had called him.' She is ashamed of these words, but she would never concede it.

* * *

Under favor of night a shadowy figure is poking along a wall which surrounds a white mansion. The street lanterns which are usually lightening the area have been vandalized a few days before. At a certain point the figure stops and scales up the wall unperceived. The silent intruder moves to the mansion's left side where an arcade loggia makes it easy to access the first floor. The windows inside the loggia are unlocked. It's an easy entrance and a quick silent killing.

The intruder approaches the bed of person he has just murdered. In the light of his flashlight he assures himself of the dead man's identity. But his mission is not finished yet.

The intruder accesses the dark hallway that separates the rooms from the inner courtyard. The silence is absolute. No one bars his way as he moves on to the next target. The room he is finally entering is the master bedroom. It is much bigger than the first victim's chamber. An impressive four-poster bed with partly drawn curtains catches the hitman's eyes. He sneaks closer the gun with the attached silencer pulled for the next strike. Only few silent steps then he's close enough to catch a glimpse of the snoozing sleeper inside.

'Holy shit' Peter Quinn looks down on the guy he has been ordered to take out. He is sleeping like a log. A very satisfied log because beside him lays a girl. Her hip-length black hair surrounds her nudeness like a blanket. She has a delicate, perfect body. Her full breasts are tight. Her small hips turn into endless slender legs. It is difficult to guess her age. Her gorgeous face looks very young and innocent.

It takes Quinn only seconds to decide his next steps. He raises his Glock 17 and sends Hamid Akbari to god.

The reaction of the girl comes immediately. But with the tight grip of Quinn's hand on her mouth there is no chance to scream. Then he kneels on her for further control while the gun is aiming at her heart. With horror in her dark brown eyes she is looking at the weapon and at him. He is staring back at her. The cold cruel look on his face makes it clear that she will be dead in a second if she is un-cooperative.

"Ârâm. Stay calm. Nothing will happen to you" he is telling her. When her body starts to relax he eases the grip of his hand. And when he is sure she will not scream he is getting up from her. But he keeps aiming the gun at her. As a sign of trust he hands her a sheet to cover herself.

'What a beauty.' Quinn watches her while she is hiding her nudeness. She looks back at him very timid and fearful. But she stays calm waiting for his next steps.

Quinn knows he has to plan his escape quickly. With the eyes still on the girl he is moving to the window. He is looking outside. What he sees doesn't lift his spirit. In the dark he can recognize a couple of armed Bassidschi troopers, maybe 6 to 8 men. They are standing around, chatting and smoking together. 'Too many to take them out without alarming the whole neighborhood.' When withdrawing from the window he suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder.

"Jesus!" Quinn jerks. He has not heard her coming. 'Like a ghost', he thinks. The girl takes a short look outside. Then she softly pulls him back into the direction of the bed. 'This starts to get interesting.' He raises an eyebrow. But sex is not what's in the girl's mind. "Dstgâh brwn rft." She points at a huge mirror beside the bed-head. 'A secret exit?' He looks at her with surprise, but doesn't move. The girl sighs and turns back to the mirror. She starts pushing it aside. But it's too heavy for her. She cannot stir it.

Quinn puts the gun back into the holster and together they manage to push the mirror away. A grey door appears but as he tries to open it, it's blocked. There is a little hole on the left side of the door. 'Maybe I just shoot it open?' But before Quinn is able to take his gun out, the girl grabs his arm. "No, no. Âelâm chtr." She points to the ceiling. 'How does she know this?" But no time for second thoughts. The girl is already moving back to the bed. Without hesitation she is reaching for her dead lover. And with a power Quinn wouldn't have expected she is tearing something from the corpse's neck. It's a delicate golden necklace with a tiny key.

When the door is opened it reveals a steep staircase. Quinn is taking a short look. Then he pulls the gun and points the girl to go downhill. He is following on her lead anytime prepared to shoot if necessary.

It is a long way down. And it's quite dark. Only few emergency lamps are lightening the steps. The staircase is leading into a tunnel. 'We must be under the house by now.' Quinn senses are running high. The girl comes to halt. "Don't stop. Move on." He ruggedly pushes her forward.

After 300 yards the tunnel makes a left-turn. Another few yards it ends. Above his head Quinn recognizes a gully. The gate to freedom.

Quinn slots his gun and stares at the girl that rescued him. He is trying to read her face. But it is too dark to see her facial expression. He cannot take her with him. 'Not the proper way to move through Tehran if you're just covered with a sheet.' So he only tells her softly "Thank you for her help, my little angel. But you have to go back to the house and leave this place." He is not sure if she has understood his words. But suddenly she turns and moves away. 'Like a ghost. Chdâ hâfz.'

* * *

Twenty minutes after Peter Quinn's lucky escape another black figure exits the gully and strolls down the street. The face is covered by a motorcycle helmet. A black Mercedes S-Class stops beside. The figure waits until the rear window slides down. Then he bends toward the unseen passenger. "All done as you have wished. The fish has bitten the bait. Now we have to take it out of water."

"Make sure it's done painfully. I want a long tasting of victory." The passenger giggles from inside.

"Slow and painful. You can rely on me." He bows the masked head as sign of strict obedience.

"No doubt on that." The laughter broadens.


	4. Chapter - U-turn

**U-turn**

Peter Quinn has arrived at the hotel after dumping the weapon. He knows he has to inform Carrie about the mission's results but he is not eager to meet her. 'Debriefing can wait.' He decides to take a shower first. 'Cleaning my soul.' Or just preparing for an unpleasant confrontation.

* * *

It is past 5:00a but still dark outside. The big city has not yet awoken. Carrie Mathison is back on her restless tiger pace. The wait for Quinn's call is not working well on her nerves. But it's not the concern if the mission has been successful. She knows she can count on Quinn.

Carrie simply doesn't know how to deal with him. She fears the confrontation. 'The best strategy is avoiding the whole issue. It's his turn to start the talk.' She knows she's wrong. But self-deception is her best line of defense. It will always be.

The burner phone rings.

"All done. Mission completed." It's all what Quinn is telling.

"Can I come over for debriefing?" She is asking.

"2116." Is the only reply.

* * *

Quinn bites his lips to suppress the ache inside him. Twenty minutes later Carrie is knocking at his door. With a sigh he opens and let her in.

"So it went well? Any encounter of resistance?" Carrie is all businesslike.

"Not what I had expected" is his short reply.

"What do you mean?" She is looking at Quinn if there is any sign of rejoice. But his eyes are simply cold, his face deadpan.

"There was a girl." His voice sounds husky.

"What girl?" She tries to stay cool. But Quinn recognizes her sizzling tension.

"The lover of Hamid Akbari. She was sleeping in his bed."

"Did you kill her?" There is a big question mark in Carrie's face.

"No need to do so. She was naked." He waits the Vulcan to explode.

"Jesus, Quinn. Can you just tell me what happened?" She is pissed off by his arrogant attitude. 'Fucking idiot.'

Her emotional tantrum has no impact on Quinn. He stays cold and reserved. He gives her an overview of the main facts. He ends with: "She basically saved my life."

"Hopefully they didn't catch her." She is trying to read his face. 'Is he caring for the girl?'

"Yeah. Hopefully." Another short reply. His gaze is still cold and unemotional.

"You are flying back in the morning?" Carrie is trying to start some sort of small talk but she feels awkward about it.

"Plane is leaving at 9:00a." Quinn is sitting down on the bed. He stares at his folded hands. "I turned in my notice."

Carrie sits down beside him. "So you are done?"

"Yeah." He's staring at an invisible point in the room.

"Any plans for the future?" She asks softly.

"Going back to Philly. Trying to work things out. With my son and his mother." He is looking back at his hands.

She puts her hand on his. Her thumb is touching him. "Everything will be fine Quinn, you will see." But the warmth of her hand and her friendly words don't comfort him. He tries to control his upcoming unwanted feelings. Biting lips again. 'Jesus. Don't let her see what I am feeling.'

And Quinn's luck is on his side. As usual Carrie Mathison has the wrong timing. Before her hand is tearing down his inner walls, she gets up. "This is a good-bye then?" She looks down at him.

Now Quinn's looking back at her. She can't see the sadness in his eyes. "Yeah. It's a good-bye."

* * *

Back in her room an exhausted Carrie Mathison bursts into tears. 'What have I done?'

* * *

The plane has departed on time. Quinn didn't get much sleep last night. So he is looking forward for some cozy sleep in his business class seat. 'Some red wine and a sleeping pill will do the rest.'

The pilot announces that the plane has left the Iranian aerial surveillance. It's the signal for the women in the plane to take off their headscarves. The noisy activities wake Quinn up. He looks at the back of a tall woman who is trying to put her chador into the upper storage. But she drops it. As a real gentleman he picks the scarf up and reaches it to the woman.

Their looks meet. 'Holy shit.' This is the girl of last night. On the second look he isn't sure about it. She looks different. Her eyes are bright blue. Her black hair is shorter and she looks older. He's searching for a sign of recognition on her face. But there is nothing. She takes her chador. "Thank you for your help." The beauty of her smiling face is breathtaking. But her accent is all American.

* * *

The next morning Quinn is still thinking about the strange coincidence when he is arriving at Langley. Entering Dar Adal's office he sees his boss in talk with Lockhart and an unknown woman turning the back at him.

"Peter. Come in. May I introduce to my daughter Alina?" Adal shines over the whole face.

Quinn nods at Lockhart. Then he turns to the woman. And his world is turning. 'What the fuck is going on?'

"Nice to meet you, Peter." Her beautiful smile is a knowing one. She is the woman of the plane. And for sure she is the girl he met at Akbari's mansion. He has no doubt about it.

* * *

Carrie is back to Istanbul. She is still sleeping when her burner phone rings.

"Yes?"

"It's me."

"Quinn?"

"You need to come. Something weird is going on." The sound of Quinn's voice is alarming her.

"You said you're done. We said good-bye." This is confusing.

"I know. But things have changed. Carrie, I need you here. There is no one else I could involve in this." He is waiting for her answer.

"I take the next plane." She sighs. 'What the fuck is going on at Langley?'


	5. Chapter - Reset Mode

**Reset Mode**

Quinn is picking up Carrie at Dulles International Airport. There is not much talking until Quinn breaks the silence.

"Any questions about the reason for your sudden return?"

"Nothing specific. I told Adal that I want to spend few more days off with my family before Christmas break."

"Did he buy it?"

"I believe so. It's just another week. I promised him to show up at Langley to discuss Javadi's situation." Carrie is looking at him. "Can you tell me, Quinn. What's going on?"

But Quinn is not ready to let the cat out of the bag. "Let's bring you home first."

Carrie stays silent for a while nervously playing with her fingertips. But suddenly she is begging. "Quinn, please. Can we just drive to my old apartment? I am not ready for the lion's den."

Quinn's answer is a knowing smile. "As you wish, Carrie. Works for me."

* * *

Carrie's place looks lonely and abandoned.

"You want a coffee? It's old but it works." Without waiting for Quinn's answer Carrie starts to prepare a coffee. 'Last time I made him a coffee it ended in a mess.'

"Said something?" Quinn peeks into the kitchen.

"Just offering a coffee." She is watching his face if there's any restraint. But there is none.

With coffee mugs in their hands they are sitting down on Carrie's sofa facing each other.

This time it's Carrie who breaks the silence. "Now tell me. What's the matter? It seemed to be very important."

Quinn takes another sip of coffee. "Remember the girl at Akbari's mansion?"

"The naked beauty? How could I forget her. You seemed pretty impressed." She is rolling her eyes in played sympathy.

"She's here. At Langley. She is Adal's daughter." He waits for Carrie's reaction. Her face speaks volumes. That's a surprise.

"Are you sure about that?" She is asking doubtfully.

"Absolutely." Quinn starts telling her about the woman in the plane. How big his surprise was when she showed up at Langley. How stunned he was when she was introduced to him as Alina Adal.

"But you say you were not sure at first. You say she looked different. And it was dark at the mansion." Carrie is not very much convinced. It's written all over her face.

"The color of eyes was different. Alina's are bright blue. Her hair is shorter. "

"So you are not sure." She interrupts him.

"I am sure, Carrie. I saw it in her eyes. The way she looked at me. She was sending a message." Quinn is losing his temper.

"I thought I am the maniac." Carrie is shaking her head in disbelief. "Did she reveal that she has been in Iran?"

"Adal did. He told me she had been visiting her grandma in Tehran." He is remembering the strange conversation with Dar Adal. "_You both must have been on the same plane, Peter._"

"Did she say something about the encounter in the plane?"

_"I didn't notice you, Peter. What a pity." _He is shaking his head. "No, she didn't confess that. And of course I didn't ask her why she was fucking a Bassidschi military leader in that damn fucking house."

"Calm down, Quinn. I am just trying to piece things together."

"You still don't believe me. Maybe I would react in the same way. But I haven't told you how she's earning her living." Quinn can still hear Dar Adal's voice. The voice of a proud father.

Carrie is waiting for him to proceed.

"She is a NSA information analyst. So tell me, what has she been doing in that damn house at that special night?"

* * *

Allina Adal is sitting in front of a laptop at her Bethesda apartment. She is typing eagerly on the keypad. Suddenly her picture pops up at the screen. "Let's make my CV a little more NSA casual." She's continuing her typing until the result conjures a wintry smile on her beautiful face. "Game on."

She starts typing again until the image of a younger Peter Quinn is filling the screen. It's his black ops background check. Alina reads it carefully. "That's interesting. We will see how we can use this."

* * *

Carrie is the first who is speaking again. "What's your proposal then?"

Quinn hesitates with his reply. "Let's put surveillance on her."

"Without an official permission?" Carrie is staring at Quinn with surprise.

"Who do you want to ask? Adal? Lockhart? I don't think we can trust them at this stage. First we have to get an idea what's going on." Quinn looks back at Carrie. "Can I count on you?"

"Sure you can, Quinn. I am used to causing a peck of trouble. First time you are joining me." Carrie is smiling at him. "But we cannot do this all alone. It's only the two of us. Let's get Virgil and Max involved."

"Can we trust them? We are moving on illegal grounds."

"Yes of course. Virgil is my oldest friend at Langley. I would entrust my life in his care. He and Max helped me observing Brody when no one believed me. And they didn't ask if I got the permission." Carrie's confidence convinces Quinn.

"Ok. Then let's get them involved. But first I will drive you home." He is getting up without waiting for her answer.

* * *

There is no further talking as they are driving to Frank Mathison's home. Quinn is carrying her luggage to the front door when they have arrived.

"Prepared for the lion's den?" He winks at her with a friendly smile.

"You want to come with me?" Carrie's eyes are begging for his support.

But this time Quinn is not willing to help her. "It's your turn, Carrie. I am sure you will survive."

"Fuck you, Quinn." She barks at him truly disappointed. But he is already on his way back to the car raising his hand as a good-bye.

* * *

Alina Adal picks up her ringing cell phone from the nightstand. She has gone to bed already to read some papers.

"Yes?" She is listening to the caller's voice. "That sounds great. See you tomorrow evening. Have a nice sleep."

You can tell by the smile on her face that she is satisfied with the latest development.

* * *

Carrie is sitting on the bed in the guest bedroom. Her little daughter is resting beside her. Her tiny hands are quivering in the rhythm of an unknown dream. 'She looks so peaceful.' A feeling of happiness is calming Carrie.

"Everything ok?" Her dad is peeking through the door.

"She is sleeping. Look how she is moving her hands. Must be an interesting dream." Carrie's face is showing a rapt smile.

Frank Mathison is smiling back at his younger daughter. "She's a great kid. Always friendly and relaxed. Never much screaming unless she's hungry."

Carrie is gently touching her daughter's belly. "She is just gorgeous." Then she is resting down beside her baby.

'Thank God! She is finally bonding to her.' Frank is leaving the peaceful pair.


	6. Chapter - The armament

**The armament**

Quinn is resting on his spartan camping bed. It's still dark outside but he hasn't slept a wink yet. Too many unsettled thoughts are running through his mind. It has been weird to meet Carrie and talk to her again. She has been acting just professionally as if there had been no bitterness and estrangement between them. He is wondering why she hasn't recognized his nervousness. 'Maybe she attributed it to the case.'

He knows he has to hide his unwanted feelings. At their encounter in Tehran it had been easy for him to stay cold and unemotional. Because the destructive words she had thrown at him in her house were constantly hammering in his head. Only when she put her hand on his he was close to losing it.

The new case gives them a chance to go back to some sort of normality. 'I have to respect if she is keeping her distance. I will keep mine. There is no danger in working together if we leave it at that.' But this strategy might not be a long-term success. When Quinn closes his eyes he imagines Carrie's face and her touch on his hands. 'Fuck!'

* * *

Quinn is not the only one who is mapping out a strategy for caution's sake. Carrie has been awaked since she fed her daughter. Quinn's request for her immediate support has confused her. But she is professional enough to realize that he did the obvious he could. 'He still trusts me.' She is eager not to disappoint him. Not again. 'Maybe this case gives us the chance to restore our relationship. Being friends again. I just have to show that he can rely on me." She takes a last look at her sleeping baby when a new plan comes to her mind.

* * *

The next morning Carrie's apartment isn't lonely and abandoned any longer. It is show time for Virgil and Max who are turning the living room into a high tech control center. Supervised by an inpatient Quinn they are connecting plenty of lap tops, recording devices, screens and wires. "All set up for the big party. So what's next?" Virgil is waiting for his orders.

"Take Max and drive to her house. Install eyes and ears in each room. And be careful. She is a NSA agent. She might have implemented some surveillance cameras or motion detectors for uninvited intruders. I would have done it."

Virgil grins at him with a knowing smile. "Sure you would. Guess you are an expert. Come on, Max. Let's go to Bethesda and see what our NSA lady is hiding."

* * *

"All set up?" Carrie is entering her apartment.

Quinn is staring at the computer screen. "I am waiting for Virgil's call that they are done. They left an hour ago."

"Maybe they have to wait until she is gone." She is staring at him but he is still not looking at him. It's irritating her.

But a yawning noise from her direction pulls his attention to her. He looks at her. His eyes are widening by surprise. "What's the hell is this?"

"That's a Bjorn. It's practical. Oh, and this is my baby. May I introduce to my daughter Alexandra Nicole Mathison." Carrie smiles about his astonished gaze.

Quinn leaps on his feet at once. He is looking down at the awaking baby girl who is nestling against her mother's breasts. He has not expected to see her that soon. It's written all over his face. "She has grown." He stares at Carrie's relaxed face.

"I thought I take her with me to give my dad some spare time. I hope it's ok with you." Carrie is sitting down on the sofa. She is opening the Bjorn and tries to take her daughter out.

"Do you need help with this?" He points at the Bjorn watching Carrie's useless efforts to free the baby.

"Maybe you can pick her up while I am opening that thing?" Their eyes meet.

Carefully he bends down and takes up the little girl. He is resting her in his strong arms. With softness in his voice that Carrie hasn't heard before, he starts to entertain the baby. "Hi, my little sweetie! How big you are already. And how beautiful. Look at that smile." He smiles at the toothless yawning baby.

'That works better than I thought.' Carrie is satisfied with the outcome of her plan. She is heading to the kitchen. "I am preparing her bottle. If she gets too heavy, you can rest her on her baby blanket." She points the blanket she has put on the carpet.

But Quinn is paying no attention to her. He is all occupied by the precious bundle in his arms.

* * *

Alina Adal has waited long enough to make sure she is been watched as she leaving her house. She knows that Peter Quinn will put surveillance on her. And the idea of being watched by him thrills her. 'I will give him a show he is not going to forget.'

* * *

Virgil and Max carefully scan the neighborhood before breaking into the Alina's place. There is no security or hidden traps outside the house. It's the same inside. Alina seems not to be scared of gatecrashers. Everything looks just harmless. It's an old-fashioned and cozy home as you wouldn't expect from a young woman like Alina. It's southern charm surprises Virgil but he keeps his mouth shut.

It takes them an hour to install all cameras and bugs. They are choosing the hide-outs with great care to make sure they cannot be found easily. When it's done Virgil calls Quinn. But it's Carrie who answering the call.

"Surveillance is on. Do you get a picture and sound?" He is asking her.

"See and hear you clearly." She replies.

"What happened to Quinn?" He's wondering if there is a problem.

He can hear her chuckles. "Come over and see it with your own eyes. The great Peter Quinn has been overpowered by a little girl."

* * *

Carrie ends the call and looks down on the floor. She is smiling at the cute picture. Her little daughter is snoozing on her blanket as well as Peter Quinn who is protecting the baby in the crook of his arm.

Carrie giggles again and takes on her observation place.


	7. Chapter - New bugs in town

**New bugs in town**

Virgil is watching the screens which display the different views of Alina's apartment when Carrie is returning.

"Something of interest?"

"She just has returned from work. It seems she's preparing for a date." Virgil keeps his eyes on the screen. "She is not acting very suspicious to me. A nice peep show of a hot body that's all." He is pointing at the screen where a woman in exquisite black lingerie is checking her wardrobe. "What's so dangerous about her? I am wondering if she is not only one of Quinn's maniac love interests. We are wasting our time."

Carrie is rolling with her eyes. "Maybe you are right. But somehow I trust his sense on that. Just be patient! Where is Max?"

"He's in the observing van. Will be on Alina's heels when she is meeting her date."

"And Quinn?" Carrie remembers Quinn's overhasty pullback when Virgil caught him with the baby.

"Hasn't called yet. Still licks his wounds, I guess. Difficult times to keep up a tough black ops image." He giggles.

"Don't be mean, Virgil." But Carrie's severity in her voice is only played.

* * *

It's 8:00p when Alina Adal enters the Green Pig Bistro in Arlington, VA. She is wearing a black zip-front trench dress which shows off her endless legs. Max carefully peeks through the restaurant's windows to catch a view of her and her date but it's impossible. She has vanished into a booth.

* * *

Quinn is back at the apartment where Carrie has settled in for the nightshift.

"How is it going?" He sits down beside her.

"Max's still outside the bistro. She hasn't shown up again." She takes a glimpse at him.

"So it will be a long night?" He smiles at her.

"Like some Indian food? There is a new delivery service."

"Finally acquired a taste for it?" His smile gets broader.

"Just want to please a faithful colleague." She jokes with him and touches his arm. But the serious look on his face kills off her flirting mood.

Without a word he turns back at the screens.

* * *

Max is still waiting. Guest after guest is leaving the restaurant but no sign of Alina and her companion. It's already past midnight when the latest guest locks down the door. He's checking around the corner but her car is gone. "Damn."

He dials Quinn's number.

"Yes?"

"She's gone. Must have taken the back entrance." Max waits for his rage.

"Fuck. What a fucking shit."

* * *

"What happened?" Carrie returns from the kitchen.

"Max blew it. Alina escaped through the back entrance." Quinn bangs his fist on the table.

Carrie sits down again. "More waiting time then."

* * *

An hour later the screens at Alina's apartment awake to live.

"She's coming home." Carrie hustles Quinn who is snoozing beside her. At once he is awake.

"Someone is with her. Shit, it's too dark to identify him."

They are watching Alina as she is pushing the man into her bedroom. He tumbles towards the bed while throwing off his jacket and shoes. Then he drops on the bed. They still cannot see his face because it's covered by a lampshade on the nightstand. Immediately Alina is over him. She rips off his shirt and starts kissing and biting his chest. Her kisses proceed down to his belt. Her hands reach for the buckle of his pants. And off they go. Her waves of hair are covering his lap but his deep groaning reveals his pleasure.

"Please, Alina. Don't stop it." But regardless his wimpy begging she stops to take a look at him. Due to the darkness Carrie and Quinn cannot see the details but the man's hard gasps let assume that Alina's hand is working on his erection. Then she straightens up and slowly sits down him. She's still fully dressed. But now she starts to unzip her trench. She's wearing a bra and hold-up stockings. No sight of her panties.

"Naughty girl." Quinn comments unnecessarily.

Alina starts slamming her hips back and forth. Suddenly she stops again and reaches for the nightstand's drawer.

"Looking for condoms" is Carrie's first guess. But she's wrong. Alina pulls out something that looks like a small bottle. "What's this?"

The man is asking the same. "Trust me. It gives you more pleasure than ever before," is Alina's short reply. She opens the bottle and dips a finger into it. Then she puts the finger into the man's mouth. "Suck it." He does what she request.

"Maybe it's cocaine. Some people use it for sex purposes." Quinn knows that from his cartel times. But there is no reply from Carrie. She keeps staring at the screen.

Meanwhile Alina has pulled off from her lover's erection. Again a finger dips deep into the bottle. Slowly she starts to encircle his cock massaging it with the mysterious fluid. Then she moves back on him and the pressing starts all over. "Just a second and you will feel it."

The man's breath comes hard and short. Then his body starts to quiver in ecstatic moves like he is grilled on an electric chair. Wordless screams of excitement escape his mouth while his hands are scratching Alina's rapidly moving hips.

"This is a maniac sex game." Max has returned from his observation tour.

"Agreed. It's her game. We still have no ID on the guy. His face is covered by the fucking lampshade." Quinn replies.

"I installed another camera from a different angle." Max reaches for the laptop. Another picture pops up on the second screen. "Get up. I might be able to zoom closer and light it."

Quinn switches his place with Max and stands up.

It takes Max only a minute then the picture shows a bright close-up of the man's distorted and sweating face.

"Holy shit. It's Lockhart. Alina is fucking asshole Lockhart!"

* * *

"This is weird." Carries speaks it out first.

"No objection to that." Quinn is tearing his hair. "What's in her mind? Fucking Lockhart to worm some secrets out of him?"

"Doubt it. Don't forget she's NSA. She could easily get into the CIA computer system without permission." She replies.

"Did we miss something? How is this linked to the Tehran mission?" Quinn sits down with a deep sigh.

Together they focus on the screens again. The vigorous sex encounter has stopped by now. Lockhart seems to have passed out. They can hear his weak snoring. Alina has a much better condition than her bedfellow. Motionless she's sitting on the bed observing Lockhart's sleep. After a while she's getting up and walks through the room.

Quinn is still stunned by the perfect line of Alina's body. He watches her as she's reaching for Lockhart's pants. She searches the pockets. Quinn straightens his back and moves closer to the screen. Carrie can feel his increasing tension.

A purse appears in Alina's hand. She investigates its content. A picture, maybe of Lockhart's family, seems to attract her attention. She takes it out. Her other hand reaches for her wrist watch and then back to the picture's backside.

"Is she applying something? Carrie, she's applying something!" Quinn is shouting now.

"Maybe a new kind of bugs?" She is asking back.

"A bug of this size? In a purse? Never seen a bug that flat. The signal would be too weak inside the purse. Jesus, what's her fucking plan." Quinn starts biting his lower lip.

As if she could see his confusion Alina smiles into the invisible camera. And the purse returns to its place in Lockhart's Pants.


	8. Chapter - Good enough to fly

**Good enough to fly**

The following days are boring surveillance routine. Alina is behaving well, too well. Quinn's nerves are all on edge. His behavior toward Carrie and the others becomes increasingly aggressive. Carrie worries that he has lost his professional distance to the case. She is also wondering if there is a case at all. Besides her profession Alina seems to be just a normal person. Each morning she leaves for work and returns late at night. No suspicious phone calls, no meetings with obscure strangers.

"Fucking the CIA director isn't a crime." Carrie tries to calm Quinn down. He has been pissed off by Virgil's comment on the mission's absurdity.

"But searching his purse and bugging him could lead to one." Quinn's eyes are bloodshot. He looks tired as if he hasn't slept for days.

Carrie touches his arm. "I am concerned about you. You look like shit. Go home, get some sleep. I will stay as your backup."

Quinn's stiff face is softening by her words. He puts his hand on hers. His touch is warm as is the feeling inside her. He looks at her with such intensity that she hasn't recognized before. She isn't sure how to respond. Suddenly she feels weakly and weakness isn't something that Carrie Mathison can deal with. So she wrests her hand from his and turns away from Quinn's piercing glance.

Now it's Quinn's turn to lose his way. He isn't used to spill his guts to another person. And Carrie's alternating behavior isn't an invitation to do so. With a significant notch in his self-confidence he prepares to leave. He is already on his way out when Carrie's voice stops him.

"Quinn, wait!" He turns back to her, waiting, hoping again. She moves closer just few steps. Not close enough to bury the emotional gap between them. "Promise me to take care."

* * *

Quinn isn't willing to go home and get some sleep. His mind is too upset to rest. Carrie's voice and the feeling of her touch are occupying his thoughts. He decides to visit a fancy bar at downtown DC. It's a place with a high potential of distraction. 'Getting drunk and flirting with some stupid chicks is what I need now.'

It works well with the drinks. But the flirting hasn't been successful yet which isn't a surprise. Quinn looks too grim and repellent to attract the light-minded ladies at the bar. From time to time he is looking at his phone which he has placed in front of him. Suddenly he feels a female's hand on his shoulder. Ready to brush her off, he turns to the woman and shrugs. It's Alina Adal.

"Hi, Peter. Never would aspect to meet you here." She smiles at him.

"It's a fancy place. And I don't care where I got drunk." He replies sharply not able to reply her smile.

But Alina isn't easy to scare off. "You are in need to get drunk? Who's bothering you?"

"No one specific."

She laughs at him. "I don't buy that. Your face speaks volumes."

She's ordering a drink. "And another drink for this miserable guy."

"I'm not miserable. I am only tired." He gets angry at her cheerfulness.

"Peter. I am a woman. I can tell if a guy is heartbroken. Who is the lucky girl?" Her face shows her empathy.

Quinn doesn't answer her last question, but sends another murky look to her.

Alina gets the signal. "Let's drink together. I promise I will keep my mouth shut."

* * *

Alina is a good entertainer. She tells him jolly stories about her teenage years and how it had been to be the daughter of a CIA agent. Quinn cannot imagine Dar Adal as a loving father. But Alina assures him that she had a wonderful childhood.

"My dad has always supported me. Even when I told him that I want to become a NSA agent. He taught me to be open-minded and respectful. I am trying to follow his advice." Quinn is captivated by the candid look on her face. He cannot help it he's starting to like her.

* * *

Few drinks later the alcohol in Quinn's blood pays its tribute. His head feels like it's bursting, his vision is blurred. Alina's moves are slow like his as she pulls out her phone. She starts to type something. Is it a message?

Alina giggles about her drunken clumsiness and after few seconds she stops her efforts. She puts her phone beside Quinn's. The sight of the two phones touching each other somehow arouses Quinn.

It seems Alina feels the same attraction. Because suddenly she leans over to Quinn, craps him by his shirt and kisses him deeply. It's a kiss full of relish. Hungry. Demanding. A feeling of lust starts creeping through his body.

It has been nearly a year since he had been intimate with a woman. His yearning for quick and meaningless sex somehow stopped when he first met Carrie. Her mixture of toughness and vulnerability as well as her increasing trust in his reliability has forced him into the role of a selfless neuter. Alina's kisses kick this all away. Suddenly he feels like a man again. A man with a desire just to fuck a woman without courtesy.

Alina giggles into his ear when he licks up her throat. "Shall we go to my place?" She asks breathless.

"No, that takes too long. Can't wait to give it to you." He replies with a husky voice.

She laughs again. "You naughty boy. Just follow me." She gets up, grabs the two phones and moves towards the restrooms.

* * *

What follows is the ecstasy of two creatures shagging each other like there is no morning. Breathless, senseless, no commitments, no regrets. All they want is to satisfy their lust. And satisfaction is easy to gain when Alina is pulling the strings.

* * *

Deep in Alina's bag two phones have started their own encounter. It's a violent infiltration unnoticed by his distracted owner. Like in the human world Alina's phone is in the directing chair. And while the sex act gives Quinn back his confirmation as a man, his phone is too weak to fend off its cyber penetration.

* * *

"Thanks." It's all he is able to say when they have finished.

Alina smiles supportively. "Don't thank me. There might be a bitter end."

She starts to clean her body with the tissues of the towel dispenser. Before she leaves she hands his phone to him. "In case you get a call from your girl friend."

* * *

At the nearby Bolling Air Force Base in Washington DC an unarmed MQ-9 Reaper on a training exercise gets an unexpected signal. The Reaper is one of the U.S. military's mainstays for surveillance and remote attacks. Later the commander in charge will state that the weather was "good enough to fly" and that he cannot explain why the drone crashed into a corn field.


End file.
